Cover-operating mechanism for garbage, ash wagons, and the like



Nov. 29, 1927.

G. H. LUTZ COVER OPERATING MECHANISM FOR GARBAGE, ASH WAGONS, ANDVTHE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 30, 1925 ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 29,1927. 1,651,138

G. H. LUTZ COVER OPERATING MECHANISM FOR GARBAGE, ASH WAGONS, AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 30, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEX KS.

Patented Nov. 29, 1927.

UNITED STATES GEORGE H. LU'IZ OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

COVER-OPERATING MECHANISM FOR GARBAGE, ASH WAGONS, AND THE'LIKE. I

Application filed November 30, 1925. Serial No. 72,094.

The present method of operating covers on garbage or ash wagons, which may weigh approximately one hundred pounds or more, is to raiseor actuate the cover by lifting it at one end only which results in the sagging and constant weakening of the covers, even though they have been reinforced by braces ofvarious characters.

My invention is designed to obviate these objectionable features and consists of a novel fastening of the cover. to a shaft, WhlOl'l when turned by suitable means will raise the cover at all points alike, thereby distributing the strain equally over the entire surface of the cover, thus prolonging the life of the latter, and in addition greatly minimizing the labor of actuating the same.

On windy days it is objectionable to expose a large opening to the interior of an ash wagon or the like and therefore the covers may be sub-divided and each of the sub-d1 visions may be opened or operated independently according to requirements by my novel mechanism to be hereafter referred to.

By my invention I have devised a novel means for raising and lowering these covers with a minimum expenditure of labor on the part of l the operator thereby making the operation more efficient and with less less of time than heretofore. I

To the above end my invention consists of a novel construction of frame work, and a novel manner of mounting and actuating the sectional covers employed, which can be actuated from either end of the wagon, by the novel mechanism hereafter referred to.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown in the accompanying drawings several forms thereof which are at present preferred by me, since the same have been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities F of which my invention consists can be va- Figure 2, represents on an enlarged scale an end view of F lgure 1, the covers being shown closed.

Figure 3, represents a partialfront elevationof a modification. I

Figure 4, represents a side elevation of another embodiment of my invention.

Figure 5, represents a-front View of a cover in detached position.

. other suitable shape. in section, which have their lower ends suitably supported and are tied together at their upper ends by the gussets 4. The longitudinally extending upper tie'piece 5, which connects the upper portions of the two A-frames 2 may be a channel or I beam or of any other suitable shape and in the present instance I have shown an I-beam employed. The ends of the bottom flange 6 of the I-beam rest upon the tops of the gussets 1 and are secured thereto in any suitable manner. 7 designates brackets which are oppositely located at the ends of the I-beam 5 and have their feet or flanges 8 secured to the verticalweb of said I-beam by bolts, rivets or the like 9. The outer portions 10 of the brackets 7 form bearings for the outer ends of the pairs of the longitudinally extending shafts 11. I preferably employ two shafts 11 at each side of the I-beam and the inner juxtaposed ends 12 and 13 of said shafts 11 have their bearings in the spacers 14 which are secured to the middle portion of the I-beam 5 on each side thereof. By this construction instead of a single shaft on each side which is liable to sag or bind, I employ two relatively short shafts, as seen in Fig. 1 whose ends are effectively support ed, and I also employ the intermediate bearings 11 seen in Fig.1, which prevent the central portions of the shafts 11 from sagging.

l5 designates arms, whose inner ends are pinned at 16, to the outer ends of the shafts 11, so as to move in unison therewith. In the outer ends of said arms 15 are the; slots 17 through which pass the pins or bolts 18 which are mounted in the upper ends of the i Ill.

lifting or actuating racks 19, whose lower inner edges are provided with the rackteeth 20. The lower ends 21 of the lifting racks pass through and are guided in the bottom horizontal wall 22 of the vertical plate 23.

24 designates collars fastened on the lower portions of the lifting racks, and between said collars and the walls 22 are interposed the cushioning springs 25, whereby it will be seen that any injurious shock or jar will be prevented by said springs upon the descent of the rack bars, The upper intermediate portions of the lifting racks 19 are guided by their Contact against t-l'ieupper horizontal bar 26 and the lower horizontal bar 27, said bars being riveted or otherwise secured to the membersS of the end ill-frames 2. The outer ends of the lower bar 27 carry the laterally extending pins 28, which serve to arrest the outer movement of the hand le Vers 29, whose lower ends are r idly mounted upon the shafts 80 each of which carries a ratchet wheel 31, which is fast thereon, said ratchet wheel being engaged by the locking pawl 32, there being also an actuating pawl mounted on the handle or lever 29. 3-1 designates the rackpinions whichare fast on the'shafts 30 and are in mesh with the racks 20 for actuating the latter. desi nates a pair of covers arranged on each side oft-he top of the device, said covers, if de sired, having their top portions cut out as shown at 36 and provided with the supporting lugs or members, 87, which are pinned at 88' to the shaft 11, so that said covers and shafts move in unison. 1 preferably employ a plurality of covers two being shown in 1' on each side of the wagon and four being employed in the entire construction, it being apparent that any desired number of these sectional covers may be employed for each of the shafts 11. It will be evident that the covers 36 can be made out of sheet metal or if desired they may be made of a suitable light or skeleton frame work 39, comprising'the ends 4e0, ioined by the slats 41 and covered with canvas or other material 4-2 as seen in Figure (3, it being only essential that the cover sections 35 have their upper portions pinned or otherwise secured to the shafts 11, so that both ends of the covers can be actuated simultaneously up or down in the constructio'n seen in Figures 1 to 3, will be apparent that on each side of the beam 5, is located a pair of the cover actuating shafts iilgha-ving their inner and outer ends and intermidiate portions mounted in suitable bearings Each shaft 11 has a cover section 35 secured fast thereto, so that when the arms 15 at either end of the wagon are rocked by the actuation of the racks 20, the covers will be actuated in the desired di rection. There may be two of the manually operated levers 29 at each end of the wagon so that whichever cover it is desired to operate can be readily actuated from either end of the wagon by rocking the levers 29, whereupon the actuating pawl 33 actuates the ratchet wheel 31, the shaft 30, the pinion 3% and the coacting rack 20, the pawl 32 serving as the locking pawl. it w'il=lbe evident that the ratchet teeth may he turned in a direction opposite to that seen in Figure 2 as in Figure 3. x i a By GIIlPiOyiDg the cover construction seen in Figure (5, a very light andeasily operat ed construction is attained, and by employ ing the sectional cover construction seen in Figure 1, either the trout or rear half of the top of the wagon at either side or end is readily accessible. in some instances it may be desirable to employ four cover sections instead of two on each si'de oft the wagon, in which case the construction seen in Figure 4 is used, Figure 1 representing one half of the side of the wagon. The end A-frames 2 having the upwardly con.- verging beams 3 and the top longitudinal beam 5 and the spacers l t and the hrackets 11 already described, except that its left hand end is extended through the left hand bracket its right hand end having its-hearin in the spacer 14'. The arm is pinned to the outer end of the shaft a3, and corresponds the arm 15 already described, and

is actuated by the pawl and ratchet mechanisni 4-5, which is the same as that seen in Figure 3 The inner cover section hasits upper lugs or arms all, pinned at 48 to the shaft 43, so that upon actuating said shaftthe inner cover section 46 will be raised or lowered as desired. The outer cover tion 19 has its upper arms 50 pinned at 51 to a sleeve or tube 52awhich is freely rotatable upon the shaft '43: 525 designatesan arm which is pinned to the tube 52 at the point and said arm is pivotally connected at 55 to the rack 56,- whieh is operated by loo lit)

the ratchet mecl-ianism 57 which is the" same as already described or as seen in Figures 2 and 3. Thus on windy days, when it is desired to expose only a small. portion of'tlie top of the ash cart, it will be seen that the comets-action seen iirFigui'e l inay be employed. vent on, it will be sc n that the upper portions of the covers are connected at two points with their actuating shaft, sothatthe \--:eight of the covers is properly supported and thereis no strain or distortion thereof during their actuation. it

It willnow be apparent that I have devised. a novel and useful construction for cover. operating mechanism for garbage, ash wagons and the like, which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desir able in the statement of the invention and In all the embodiments of my in end the above description and while I'have in the present instance shown and described the preferred"embodiments thereof which have been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that the same are susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character stated a plurality of longitudinally extending aligning shafts supported above said wagon, bearings for the outer ends of said shafts, intermediate bearings for the inner juxtaposed aligning ends of said shafts sectional covers having their upper edge portionssecured fast to said shafts so as to operate in unison therewith, whereby distortion of said covers is prevented, slotted rack arms on the ends of said shafts, upright rack bars having their upper ends pivotally connected to said rack arms.

2. In a device of the character stated a plurality of longitudinally extending aligning shafts supported above said wagon, bearings for the outer ends of said shafts intermediate bearings for the inner juxtaposed aligning ends of said shafts sectional covers having their upper edge portions secured fast to said shafts so as to operate in unison therewith whereby distortion of said covers is prevented in combination with means for actuating each of said shafts and covers comprising upright racks having pivotal connections to the outer ends of said shafts, pawl and ratchet mechanism for said racks, and cushioning devices for the lower ends of said racks.

3, In a device of the character stated, end supporting frames, a longitudinally extending beam connecting said frames, a plurality of shafts on each side of said beam, brackets secured to said beam,'in which said shafts have their bearings, a plurality of cover sections having their upper edge portions secured fast to said shafts, upright racks pivotally connected to the outer ends of said shafts, and manually operated pawl and ratchet mechanism for actuating said racks.

-l-. In a device of the character stat-ed, end supporting frames, a longitudinally extending beam having its ends mounted on said frames, a plurality of longitudinally extending shafts on each side ofsaid beam, brackets secured to the outer ends of said beam in which the outer ends of said shafts have their bearings, intermediate supports carried by said beam inwhich the inner juxtaposed 5. In a device of the character stated, for' a wagon, a plurality of longitudinally extending aligning shafts supported above said wagon, bearings for the outer ends of said shafts, intermediate bearings for the inner juxtaposed aligning ends of said shafts sectional covers having their upper edge portions secured fast to said shafts so as to operate in unison therewith, whereby distortion of said covers is prevented, said covers being composed of end pieces con necting members and a covering material for the latter, arms attached to the outer ends of said shafts, upright racks pivotally attached to said arms, pawl and ratchet mechanisms for actuating said racks, and cushioning mechanisms for the lower ends of said racks.

6. In a device of the character stated a plurality of sectional covers for each side of the wagon top, independent shafts for said covers, each of the latter having their upper edge portions attached to its respective shaft, arms attached to said shafts, upright rack bars having their 'upper ends pivotally attached to said arms, and pawl and ratchet mechanism for operating each of saidrack bars.

7. In a device of the character stated a plurality of sectional covers for each side of the wagon top, independent shafts for said covers, each of the latter having their upper edge portions attached to its respective shaft, slotted arms attached to said shafts, upright rack bars having their upper ends pivotally connected to the slots in said arms, and a pair of manually operated pawl andratchet mechanisms at each end of said wagon for effecting the independent operation of each of said shafts and the cover fast thereon.

' GEORGE H. LUTZ. 

